Abstract: Rice is one of the staple crops for national food security in China. The per-unit yield of the total rice production can be attributed to the yield potential of the rice varieties and the cultivation technologies over the past 75 years. Current agriculture has transformed from conventional small-scale farming to large-scale, intelligent, and intensive cultivation. In this study, a systematic review was presented to integrate the evolution of the mechanized and simplified cultivation techniques for the mechanical transplanting, seedling-throwing, direct seeding, and ratoon rice in China. After that, technological achievements were summarized to identify the existing challenges at each stage. Some insights were also aligned with the development trends of Chinese-style modernization. The potential future pathways were proposed for the mechanization and intelligence of the mechanical transplanting of rice, seedling-throwing, direct seeding, and ratoon rice. In mechanical transplanting rice, it was very necessary to enhance the cultivation techniques, such as the intelligent and intensive seedling raising, autonomous navigation transplanting with unmanned machines, as well as the fertilizer application, water, and pesticides management in a smart field. In seedling-throwing rice, it was important to strengthen the innovation of techniques, such as the standardized seedling cultivation, as well as the high-quality mechanized and intelligent seedling throwing and planting. In direct seeding rice, the techniques required to innovate such as the full straw returning to the field and one-time full seedling cultivation via tillage, preparation, and sowing. In ratoon rice, the innovative techniques were required for the high regenerative varieties and the light-impact harvesting machinery. Finally, the prospective production and future directions were outlined for rice cultivation. Firstly, the agronomic innovation, intelligent agricultural machinery, and modern information technologies were integrated to foster the synergistic technologies in the "agronomy, agricultural machinery, agricultural intelligence". Secondly, intensive research was promoted on the pivotal technologies, such as the smart, green, and high-yield paddy field, efficient synergy models for the yield and quality, unmanned farming, intelligent fertilization and precise application, smart irrigation systems, and unmanned aerial pesticide spraying. Thirdly, the high-caliber talents were required, including the new-generation farmers, industrial artisans, as well as the interdisciplinary innovative and entrepreneurial talents, in order to underpin the modern and intelligent agriculture.